كدودوكن محي الدين تيدق ستابيل
Given that PPBM comprises a significant number of former UMNO leaders who left the Barisan Nasional component party not too long ago, it is easy for some of these leaders to ally themselves with UMNO given Muafakat’s stability and strength in terms of numbers.
Let us not forget that Muafakat had a months-long head start and has established itself both at federal and state levels, a fact many a PPBM leader is fully aware of.
Perikatan, on the other hand, has to contend with factions in UMNO that may still hold grudges with Muhyiddin for initiating police investigations into several former UMNO ministers, including Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
If more and more PPBM leaders start sensing problems ahead, Muhyiddin will be left with nothing but crumbs should these leaders decide to shift their allegiances, some towards UMNO and the rest, Mahathir.
PETALING JAYA: An opinion piece run by The New Straits Times Online on the temperature in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) hit the spot on truth and reality.
The piece, which quoted Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s Associate Professor Dr Jeniri Amir, said Bersatu was in a major quandary as the party’s conflict was between founding members Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“The party is in a difficult position. The wounds run deep and Dr Mahathir is now a very angry man. He will not give up, that is not in his nature.
“Dr Mahathir will create problems in the party as there is nothing for him to lose now,” Jeniri was quoted as saying.
Jeniri said Muhyiddin chose to prioritise his duties as a prime minister first instead of the crisis.
“He has to address the cabinet and the country first, that’s the right thing to do instead of the crisis in Bersatu.”
Actually, I’m mixed on this. True, Muhyiddin has indeed put the focus on premiership and seems to have relegated party matters to the back burner.
However, this could be a formula for disaster, as Perikatan Nasional was more of an “accidental coalition” that isn’t in accordance with the original plans Mahathir laid out.
Apart from there being an alliance between PAS and UMNO, dubbed “Muafakat Nasional,” Barisan Nasional still considers itself in existence, which is all the more puzzling since all component parties of the former ruling coalition are on board with PAS in Muafakat.
Then there is Perikatan istself which essentially is an alliance between Muafakat, PPBM and two political groups from East Malaysia, one from Sabah and the other from Sarawak.
So the new coalition has obviously got to iron out its command structure, let alone decide on an agreed upon “group ideology.”
This will prove to be a huge challenge and could take months to finalise, given the existence of multiple political groups and alliances, each having charted their own course in Malaysian politics, each unlikely to give in to the demands of the others easily.
Given that PPBM comprises a significant number of former UMNO leaders who left the Barisan Nasional component party not too long ago, it is easy for some of these leaders to ally themselves with UMNO given Muafakat’s stability and strength in terms of numbers.
Let us not forget that Muafakat had a months-long head start and has established itself both at federal and state levels, a fact many a PPBM leader is fully aware of.
Perikatan, on the other hand, has to contend with factions in UMNO that may still hold grudges with Muhyiddin for initiating police investigations into several former UMNO ministers, including Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
If more and more PPBM leaders start sensing problems ahead, Muhyiddin will be left with nothing but crumbs should these leaders decide to shift their allegiances, some towards UMNO and the rest, Mahathir.
As it is, Mahathir has been busy holding meetings nationwide and is said to have gained support from many PPBM division heads.
Should this be true, it would lead us right back to where it all started – a split in the Malay vote and a massive onslaught by Mahathir on UMNO during the 15thgeneral election.
RJ RITHAUDEEN
